Name: Olympic Canoeing 50p
Brand: The Royal Mint
Price: 1.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

Olympic Canoeing 50p

Olympic Canoeing 50p Images

High-quality images of the 2011 Olympic Canoeing 50p showing obverse and design details. Click any image to view full size.

Olympic Canoeing 50p Obverse - 2011 UK 50p Coin Head Side

Obverse (Heads)

The obverse (heads side) of the 2011 50p coin featuring the portrait designed by Ian Rank-Broadley .

Tip: Click any image to view it in full size. All images show the actual 2011 Olympic Canoeing 50p as issued by The Royal Mint, helping you identify genuine coins and understand their design features.

Coin Description

The 2011 Canoeing 50p is one of the more common coins in the London 2012 Olympic series with 2,166,500 of these coins released into public circulation. Compared to other Olympic 50p coins, such as the rare Football 50p (mintage of 1,125,500), the Canoeing 50p is in relatively plentiful supply and is easier to find in change. Most Olympic 50ps have a lower mintage than the average commemorative coin, making them all somewhat sought-after by collectors.

Olympic Canoeing 50p Specifications

Weight 8g

Diameter 27.3mm

Circulating Mintage 2,166,000

Obverse Designer Ian Rank-Broadley

Reverse Designer Timothy Lees

Detailed Information

🛶 2011 Olympic Canoeing 50p

Circulating London 2012 Olympic 50p featuring a canoeist tackling a slalom course – a “less common” coin in the Olympic sports set.

Summary of Value & Key Facts

The 2011 Canoeing 50p is one of the 29 coins issued to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With a circulation mintage just over 2.16 million, it is classed as a less common modern 50p rather than a true rarity, but demand from Olympic set builders gives it a steady premium over face value.

📊 Key Figures

Core specifications and guide values for the standard circulating Canoeing 50p.

Aspect	Figure	Notes
Denomination	50 pence	Standard seven-sided UK 50p coin issued for general circulation in 2011 as part of the London 2012 sports set.
Alloy, weight & diameter	Cupro-nickel, 8.00 g, 27.30 mm	75% copper, 25% nickel – the usual Olympic 50p specification with a plain edge.
Mintage (circulating)	2,166,500	Official mintage for circulation; ranks around 26th out of the 29 Olympic designs by scarcity.
Designers	Reverse: Timothy Lees Obverse: Ian Rank-Broadley	Obverse shows the fourth definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II; reverse depicts a canoeist on a slalom course.
Typical value (circulated)	About £1 to £3	eBay averages and value guides usually place circulated examples around £1–£2.50, with some dealers pricing better examples up towards £3–£3.50.
UNC / BU value (guide)	About £4 to £6+	Brilliant Uncirculated coins from Royal Mint or dealer packs generally sell for several times face value, often around the £4–£6 mark depending on packaging and demand.

💡 Collector Notes

The Canoeing 50p is a classic mid-tier Olympic coin: not especially rare on its own, but visually strong and always in demand from collectors completing the full London 2012 sports run.

Commemorative theme: Part of the official London 2012 Olympic 50p series. Canoeing covers the canoe slalom events, held on a purpose-built white-water course, where athletes navigate through hanging gates while fighting the current.
Design: The reverse shows a canoeist paddling through a slalom course, with two hanging gate poles visible and stylised waves and splashes around the boat. The London 2012 logo sits above, and “50 PENCE” curves along the bottom.
Rarity in context: With 2,166,500 pieces struck, Canoeing is harder to find than very high-mintage commemoratives but easier than the rarest Olympic designs such as Football, Judo or Wrestling. Most scarcity indexes rate it as “less common” rather than scarce or rare.
Circulating vs collector versions:
- Circulated: Found in change with typical wear and contact marks. These are the coins most people add to a circulation-quality Olympic album.
- Brilliant Uncirculated (BU): Sold in individual sports cards and in Olympic collector folders. BU examples show full lustre and sharp detail, especially on the waves, boat and gate poles.
- Proof and silver issues: A sterling silver BU version and other proof formats were also issued in limited numbers for higher-end collectors.
Collecting tip: For circulation coins, look for clear detail on the canoeist’s paddle, helmet and the slalom gates, with minimal scratches in the water and background. For BU or proof coins, intact original packaging and certificates help support long-term value.

Olympic Canoeing 50p

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